Stabilizing means for ships



March 30, 1937. Q THRONDSEN 2,075,594

STABILIZING MEANS FOR SHIPS Filed May 10, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 0 7 TO A. T me/v0.55

ATTORNEY.

March 30, 1937. o. A. THRONDSE'N STABILIZING M EANSFOR SHIPS Filed May 10, 1935 38heets-Sheet t2 INVENTOR. 71/

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March 30, 1937.

0A. THRONDSEN 2,075,594 STABILIZING MEANS FOR SHIPS Filed May 10, 1935' 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 'lllillwlflll "III 'IIIIIIIIIIII' INVE 07-70 A. T

NTOR HRO/VD 3 4w ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,075,594 STABILIZING MEANS FOR SHIPS Otto A. Throndsen, Brooklyn,

Application May 10, 1935, Serial No. 20,815

2 Claims.

The invention relates to means for reducing the rolling and/or pitching of ships as by means of vanes or wings arranged to be extended temporarily from the hull of a vessel.

The invention has for an object the provision of a pair or pairs of cooperating vanes of substantial size for minimizing the rolling of ships as well as the pitching, if desired; and which vanes may be extended when required laterally from the hull out of a transverse chamber provided through said hull and located preferably fore and aft.

A further object of the invention is to conserve space on the vessel and to afiord a compact structure as in the provision of a compartment extending transversely through the hull of the ship and designed to house a pair of the also, to so mount the same therebe moved in opposite directions with a minimum of applied force and caused to project beyond the hull, which is opened to the sea thereby at the respective ends of the said chamber.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of driving means for reciprocating the vanes and located adjacent the said vane-housing compartment.

The invention has for a further object the provision of hollow vanes to serve as pontoons when projecting outwardly from the hull.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided transversely of and entirely a ship asuitable compartment which is designed to open to the sea at its opposite ends, the water retained by the compartment, arenot in use, serving as ballast, if desired. The compartment is so designed as to house normally a pair of vane or wing elements, either in superposed relationship or located alongside each other therein.

Moreover, the outer ends of the respective vanes may serve to close off the said end openings of the compartment when the vanes are not in service, and the said compartment may then be drained of the retained water. The construction of this compartment, furthermore, is such as not to weaken the ship frame, rather reinforcing the structure as in affording a beam tying together the ribs thereof.

When desired for use, provision is made for sliding the vanes in opposite directions in the said compartment and through the respective openings in the hull, the vanes being moved laterally beyond the hull a substantial distance to assume more or less horizontal positions and below the waterline of the ship. This may be accomplished manually, or, preferably, by means of a reversible electric motor, for example, driving a pinion having engagement with corresponding racks carried by the respective vanes and whereby reciprocation thereof may be efiected for extending them into the water or withdrawing them into their housing compartment. Suitable anti-friction means are provided to minimize the power required for reciprocating the vanes so that this may be accomplished either manually as well as through the operation of the reversible electric motor.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the hull of a ship which is equipped with the novel stabilizing mechanism; and Fig. 2 is a stern view thereof, showing roll-minimizing vanes extending from the sides of the hull.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the hull with the vanes at the fore part extended for use.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, with part of the decking broken away, of a portion of the hull provided with a transverse compartment for accommodating a pair of the vanes which are shown in extended position, together 'with driving mechanism for reciprocation of said vanes.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section through the vane-housing compartment as located in a hull; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section therethrough, taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 5 of the drawings, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, l0 designates the hull of a vessel as equipped with vanes, hereinafter set forth, said vanes being adapted to project from the hull at opposite sides thereof, preferably both fore and aft of the vessel so as to stabilize the vessel both as to rolling and pitching. To this end, there is provided transversely of and entirely through the vessel a horizontally disposed compartment, or compartments ll and I2, made water-tight by any of the usual and well-known expedients, but which may be opened to the sea at opposite ends.

Within such compartment, for example the compartment l I, Figs. 4-6, is mounted to slide a pair of vanes or wings which may serve as pontoons, and the same are indicated in their ex tended position. Thus, a vane l3 extends through the opening M at one end of the compartment ll while a vane [5 extends through its opposite opening 55. These transmission means vanes may be variously constructed and are preferably hollow to serve as buoyancy members or pontoons tending to stabilize the ship during heavy weather and when extended from the sides of the vessel, as indicated. The outer ends of the corresponding vanes are preferably flanged or provided with an end plate #1 and 58, respectively, the same being designed to fit the corresponding openings l4 and I 6 so as to seal the compartment against the entrance of water when the vanes are not in use and accommodated in their retracted position within the compartment. Waste water valves I9 and 20 may be provided for draining the compartment at such time.

The arrangement of the vanes'within the compartment is in accordance with available when in retracted posi- The compartment II to this end may be divided substantially into two sections by means of an intermediate Wall or by rails 2! for guiding the corresponding vanes berespective top and bottom walls of the compartment. Suitable vertically disposed rollers 22 and horizontally disposed rollers 23 are same beyond the vessels sides and when retracting the same into the compartment.

To effect these reciprocations, suitable power are provided, for example, the worm 25 and worm wheel 26, the latter driving a shaft 21 which extends through a stuffing box 28 into the compartment H and carries at its inner end a pinion 29. The transmission mechanism may be manually rotated as by means of a hand crank 30; but it is preferred to install a reversible electric motor 3| between Each of the aforesaid vanes I 3 and I carries a rack as the rack 32 secured, for example in the vision for storage of use admits of making them of relatively large eifective surface.

When no longer required, they are retracted found that vibration is materially reduced.

I claim:

stabilizing a vessel,

the entire volume thereof, power means located O'I'IO A. 'I'HRONDSEN.

these vanes when not in 

